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September 18th, 2009
Back-to-school shopping used to be our absolute favorite time of year (we were that giant nerd of a kid who dreaded summer vacation and counted down the days until school started again). Our mom would make a whole "Girl's Day" out of it, starting with going out for breakfast, hitting the aisles at Target hard, then going home to pore over our loot for the rest of the day. We loved picking out a new backpack, buying new clothes, the smell of an unused box of crayons, filling our pencil box with new Lisa Frank pencils... it was glorious. |
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| Phoenix Picks: | |||
| 1 | What a Feeling! |
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| 2 | Shake your Money Maker We’ve always been slightly intrigued by the stripper pole. After all, it’s big and shiny, and what girl doesn’t like that? We’ve seen chicks everywhere from “Rock of Love”to the the youngest Kardashians spin round and round, and in some drunken, less-than-graceful cases, fall right off the thing. And f they can do it, so can we! So when we heard about a pole-dancing class we were giddy with excitement. After recruiting some of our workplace besties, we ventured over to Express Mie Beauty and Fitness studio on a Friday eve. Our “Pole-ah-tease” class started with some deep breathing, meditation, Pilates and Yoga to get our minds focused and our muscles warmed up for the main event. And the instructor really taught us how to work it, starting with a few basic spins and a sexy wall dance routine. (The hubby loved this, btw.) After about twenty minutes of free pole-dance time, our arms were sore and our shins bruised, but it was all worth it. We left feeling strong, sexy and fierce. Now, if we can only master the pole in 7-inch heels! Express Mie Fitness and Beauty |
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| 3 | Wicked Wisdom Summer may not be done with Arizona, but we are so done with summer. Any warm fuzzies we once had for this sweaty-Betty season have disintegrated into the sort of bitterness that only temperatures starting with a “7” can alleviate. Alas, until the mercury drops at least another 20 degrees, all of our fabulous new fall accessories are rendered useless. We’ll have to just keep gazing longingly at our distressed-leather harness boots... sigh. In an effort to keep our overheated mind distracted, we turn to Wicked Wear Studio & Gallery. Situated in the heart of Paisley Town (a little cluster of shops located on the back patio of The Paisley Violin on Grand Ave.), this yoga studio/art gallery/clothing boutique is anything but evil. Their Kundalini yoga class on the Paisley patio will certainly help restore our mental balance. Or maybe we’ll indulge in a little retail therapy by scoring a one-of-a-kind, handmade yoga ensemble or original art piece. If we’re really lucky, we’ll be able to wear our new goodies to their wicked awesome fashion show during the Grand Avenue Festival on Sept. 26. Wicked Wear Studio and Gallery |
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| Cocktail of the Week: | |||
The Yazitini
Ginger, how we love you. And Vodka… well… our love affair goes back many, many years. And yet we never thought about putting the two together! Leave that to Yazi Ginger Vodka. The sweet/sharp hit of ginger is subtle enough to mix with soda, yet we love this sassy Yazitini, too. Try it! 2 parts Yazi Ginger Vodka Shake with ice and serve up in a martini glass. Garnish with a lime wheel. |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Handwritten Greetings Outdoor farmer’s markets, movies in the park and Halloween costumes remind us of how much we love fall. No, we don’t get foliage on our freeway drives or snow on our stoops, but hot chocolate and honey-dripped teas can easily be a Southwest reality. We’ve started planning some cool weather tetes with our amigos and we’re totally turning to Angelisa Espinoza’s handmade cards to spice up our party planning. |
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| 2 | Science is Sacrifice We've been hearing for some time that science-inspired fashions are so hawt right now. Good news for all of us brainy Periodic Table-lovin' types. Someone passed along this site before we could say Bunsen Burner. This clutch is crafted from 700 post-consumer pop tops. It has a zip closure, and comes in a futuristic metallic silver. It’s totally “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” with a “Dexter” twist. Lurv. |
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| 3 | The New “It” Bag Reusable green bags are, literally, everywhere you look these days—a fact we couldn’t be happier about. But honestly, sometimes we wish they were just a tad more fashionable, to satisfy both sides of our personalities—eco-conscious and stylish. Seems our wishes have come true with the totes from Bag Ladies. With sayings like “Louis Who?” and “My other bags are Prada,” they are fabulous and fabulously funny. We’ll never forget ours in the car again! |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Feast for a Queen Let them eat cake … and soup and steak and raviolis and mussels. Restaurant week is here again—eight days full of cocktail and prix-fixe three-course foodie bliss at high-end local restaurants. Been dying to try Zinc Bistro, Coup des Tartes or Bloom? Now’s your chance! What: Arizona Restaurant Week |
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| 2 | A Night at the Museum What: SMoCA’s fall season exhibitions and SMoCA Nights |
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| 3 | “Purse-onality” Enjoy cocktails and live entertainment while admiring and bidding on designer purses filled with cosmetics, theater tickets, limo service, hotel accommodations and other goodies! Are you enamored of a backpack full of hiking gear? A clutch with theater tickets? This saucy event is the creation of the Women's Metropolitan Arts Council (WoMAC). Very cool! What: It’s in The Bag Charity Event |
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Don’t let your friends and family miss a stylish beat: Sign them up at www.PhoenixPicks.com! |
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